Ironing machine



June 11, 1935. J. T.'HUME ET AL 2,004,165

IRONING MACHINE Filed March 21', 19:52 4 s s t 1 June 11, 1935. J, HUME ETYAL 2,004,165

IRQNING MACHINE Filed March 21, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 J3 a Q Z. w 4 6 /5 gi /07d; ZZZ;

June 11, 1935. J. T.HUME El AL 2,004,165

IRONING MACHINE Filed March 21, 1932 4 Shets-Sheet 5 June 11, 1 935. J. T. HUME ET AL IRONING MACHINE Filed March 21,

1932 4 Sheets -Sheec 4 Patented June 11, 1935 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE River Forest, 111., assignors to Electric Household Utilities Corporation, Cicero, Ill., a. corporation of Illinois Application March 21, 1932, Serial No. 600,090

6 Claims:

This invention relates to improvements in ironing machines having relatively movable ironing elements by which clothes are ironed and the purpose of this invention is to provide improved mechanism for actuating one of the ironing elements and efiecting relative movement of two ironing elements, such as a rotatable roll and an ironing shoe. The principal object of the invention is to provide improved means for moving the shoe toward and from the roll. A further object of the invention is to provide improved ironing machine mechanism according to which the immediate support for the ironing shoe is slidably mounted for movement toward and from the axis of the roll. A further object of this invention isto provide an ironing machine having motor driven mechanisms for eiiecting rotation of an ironing roll and for effecting movement toward and from from the roll of a slidably mounted ironing shoe. Another object of the invention is to provide improved actuating mecha nisms for efiecting movement of the shoe toward and from the roll by the operation of a shaft which rotates continuously in the same direction for effecting both movementsof the shoe. Other objects of the invention relate to various features of construction and arrangement which will appear more fully hereafter.

The nature of the invention will be understood from the following specification taken with the accompanying drawings in which one embodiment is illustrated.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the improved ironing machine with parts of the supporting table and its legs broken away;

Fig. 2 shows an enlarged end elevation of the ironing machine, looking toward the right as viewed in Fig. 1, with the cover of the housing removed and other parts shown in vertical sec tion;

Fig. 3 is a detailed section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 shows an enlarged vertical section taken on the line t-t of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 shows a side elevation of the clutch member and cam by means of which the actuation of the shoe is controlled;

Fig. 6 shows an enlarged vertical section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 shows a vertical section on the line 'l-i of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 shows a horizontal section on the line are secured thereto by bolts l3. The housing l2 has a removable cover I 4 having formed integrally therewith the casing of an electric motor l5 which is connected to a suitable source of current supply to provide the power for actuating the driving mechanism contained within the housing. The cover plate I4 is detachably secured to ,the housing l2 by means of cap screws l6 and the cover plate is connected on its inner side by means of bolts I1 with a frame l8 which serves in conjunction. with the cover plate and the motor casing to support the driving mechanism actuated by the motor, so that, upon removal of the cap screws t6, the cover plate and the driving mechanism may be removed as a unit from the housing l2. The housing I2 also serves as a support for the ironing roll l9 which is adapted to cooperate with the movable shoe 20, and the mechanism contained within the housing is adapted to efl'ect the rotation of this roll and the movement of the shoe toward and from its ironing position.

The electric motor l5 comprises a field winding 2i and a rotatable armature ,22 mounted upon the motor shaft 23 which is journaled at one end in a bearing formed in the motor casing and at 3 This gear is secured upon formed thereon or secured thereto a pinion 3| which meshes with a driving gear 32 of relatively large diameter, mounted to rotate upon the shaft 33 which is journaled at one end in the bearing hub 34 formed integrally with the cover plate it and at the other end in a bearing 35 which is formed in the frame it. This gear 32 is secured to or formed integrally with a pinion 36 which meshes with another gear 37 secured upon the roll driving shaft 3%.

The roll driving shaft 38 is journaled in a hub 39 formed in the upper part of the frame l8 and arranged to engage at its ends the circular bore 40 which is formed in the bearing block 4!. constructed as an integral part of the housing l2. The shaft 38 is also journaled in a bushing 42 which is secured in this bore 40 and the projecting end of this shaft has secured thereon or formed integrally therewith a driving pinion 43 v which is arranged to mesh with a gear 44 secured to the roll I 9. This roll is mounted to revolve upon an axle 45 which is secured in stationary position in the bearing block 4| by means of a removable pin 46. The roll I9 comprises a sheet metal cylinder 41 which is secured at its ends to radial disks 48, one of which is shown in Fig. 4. This disk extends between the gear 44 and a ring 49 and these parts are secured together by studs 50 so that the roll is driven by the gear which in turn revolves upon a bushing 5| secured upon the axle 45. The outer end of the roll I9 is closed by a plate 53 carried by a hub 54 which revolves upon the outer end of the axle 45 and provision is made at this point for preventing endwise movement of the roll with respect to its hearings on the axle 45. The-sheetmetalcylinder 41 of the roll is covered by a winding 55 of suitable fabric which is adapted to contact directly wit clothes being ironed.

The pinion 36 which drives the roll I9 also serves to eifect movement of the shoe 281 toward and from the roll but, before describing the "mechanismwhich'is actuated by the pinion for this purpose, it will be desirable to set forth the means by which the shoe is mounted. As shown particularly in Fig. 6, the shoe 20 comprises a front plate 51, of considerable thickness, which extends substantially throughout the length of the roll and which is curved to conform to the curvature of the roll. This plate 51 has its upper and lower edges reversely bent as shown at 51 to embrace the backing plate 58 within which is mounted a body of insulating material 59 containing the electric heating element which is connected to a suitable source of current supply so that the shoe may be heated for effecting the ironing of the clothes which are interposed betwen the shoe and the roll. The shoe 26 is directly supported by a bracket 60 which is secured to the middle point of the backing plate 58 and this bracket 68 is pivotally connected to a pin 6| with the horizontal supporting bar 62 which has a sliding movement toward and from the axis ofthe roll I9,

being preferably arranged to move in a horizontal plane. A leaf spring 63 is secured to the underside of the bar- 62 and bears upon the lower edge of the shoe 20, as shown in Fig. 6 so that as the shoe is moved toward the roll, the lower edge of the shoe first engages the roll or the clothes to be ironed which are interposed between the roll and the shoe, and as the movement of the bar 62 continues, the other parts of the shoe are-brought into engagement so that it finally assumes a position concentric with the axis of the roll, as shown in Fig. 6. When theshoe is withdrawn from the roll, the extent to which the shoe may be tilted upwardly about the pin 6| by the ac,-, tion of the spring'63 is limited by a pin 64 which projects from the bracket 68 to coact with a lug 65 projecting from the underside of the bar 62.

The bar 62 which carries the shoe 20 isvslidably mounted in a vertically extending pedestal or .casing 66 formed in two complementary parts 66 together with a removable cap 66. This casing is provided with flanges 66 which rest upon the table I8 and are secured thereto by studs 61.

The complementary upright portions 66 of this pedestal or casing are provided with projecting ears 66 which are secured together by [bolts 68. The upper parts of these housing portions 66 and the cap piece 66 are similarly provided with projecting ears 66 which are attached together by bolts 69. The purpose of this sectional construction of the pedestal or casing 66 is primarily to permit the convenient assembly of the parts which are contained therein. The bar 62 is adapted to slide in arguideway 1|) formed partly in a of a clutch member 91.

rearward extension 66 of the casing and a coil spring 1| mounted in this rearward extension of the casing bears against the end of the bar 62 and normally forces it toward the roll I9.

For the purpose of withdrawing the shoe 28 from the roll I9, the supporting bar 62 is provided with an elongated slot 62 across which extends a transverse pin 14 having mounted thereon a roller 15. This roller is adapted to coact with an inclined cam surface 16 formed upon a vertically movable plunger 16 arranged to slide in a guideway 11 formed in the pedestal or casing 66. The lower end of-this plunger 16 is provided with a circular socket 16 in which is pivotally mounted the circular terminal portion 18 of an actuating arm 18. This arm is secured at its other end to an eccentric strap 19 mounted to ride upon an eccentric 88 which is fixed upon a rotatable shaft 8|. The eccentric strap is formed in two parts secured together by studs 82 and these parts are provided with an annular rib adapted to engage a groove 88 in the eccentric so that the strap is retained against endwise movement. It will be apparent that upon rotation of the eccentric 88 from the position shown in Fig. 6, the arm 18 is forced upwardly, thereby elevating the plunger 16 and causing the cam surface 16* to retract the bar 62 against depression of the spring 1|, thereby withdrawing the shoe 20 from the roll I9. Upon continued rotation of the shaft 8| and the eccentric in the same direction, the plunger 16 is lowered and the coil spring 1| then operates to force the bar 62 inwardly and thereby moves the shoe 20 toward the roll I9.

The shaft 8| is journaled in bearings 83 and 84 which are carried by a bracket 85 secured to the underside of the table II) and the end 'of this shaft opposite the eccentric 80 is secured through a flexible coupling 86 with an actuating shaft 81. This shaft 81 is journaled in the lower part of an auxiliary housing 88 which is inclined downwardly .from the side of the housing l2 through an aperture in the table II], as shovm in Fig. 2. This auxiliary housing is provided at its lower end with. aremovable cap 88 and at its upper end it is provided with flanges 88 which are secured to the housing I2 by studs 89. The shaft 81 has a bevel gear 90 secured thereon within the housing 88 and this beveled gear meshes with another shaft 92 is actuated to operate the connected shafts 8| and 81 and thereby turn the eccentric 88 to control or effect the movement of the shoe toward and from the roll.

The driving connection between the pinion 36 and the shaft 33 is effected through a plurality of clutch teeth 95 which are formed on the side face of the pinion 36 to mesh with corresponding clutch teeth96 which are formed on the end face This clutch member is splined upon the enlarged portion 33 of the shaft 33 and it is normally forced toward the pinion 36' by means of a coil spring 98 which is mounted upon the tubular extension 91* of the clutch member to hear at one end against the shoulder on the clutch member and at the other end against the inner face of the cover plate I4. This extension 91 of the clutch member is mounted to slide upon the hub 34 in which the adjacent end of the shaft 33 is journaled. The clutch member 91 is provided with an annular groove 91 one side of which has formed thereon a cam surface 99 provided with projections 99, as shown particularly in Fig. 5. This groove 91 is engaged by the end of a shifter bar I which extends upwardly and has its upper extremity pivoted on a pin 'IOI carried by a crank arm I02. This crank arm is fixed upon a shaft I03 and the hub of this arm has an extension I02- which is journaled in a bearing hub I04 carried by the upper part of the frame I0 as shown in Fig. 4. The shaft I03 is journaled in a hub I05 carried by the cover plate It and the projecting end of the shaft has secured thereon a handle I06 which is adapted to be manipulated by the operator of the machine to turn the'crank arm I02 and thereby effect longitudinal movement of the shifter bar I00. The lower end of this shifter bar is adapted to slide between an auxiliary plate I01 which is secured to the frame I8 and another plate I08 which is secured to this auxiliary plate by screws I09. The plate I08 has a slot I00 engaged by a pin IIO secured to the shifter bar so that the longitudinal movement of this bar is limited by the engagement of the pin with the ends of the slot. A coil spring III is connected between the pin IOI and one of these screws I09 so that it tends normally to move the shifter bar I00 downwardly and maintain the extremity thereof in engagement with the clutch member 91. The clutch member is provided on opposite sides of the groove 91 with two recesses 91 which are adapted to be engaged by the end of the shifter bar under the influence of the spring I I I thus holding the clutch member in either of two positions, corresponding to the rotation of the shaft 33 through 180. When the shaft 33 is in one of these positions, the shoe 20 is in a position fully withdrawn from the roll I9 and when the shaft 33 is in the other position, 180 therefrom, the shoe is in its innermost position adapted to engage and iron the clothes which are passing around the roll I9.

Assuming that the clutch member 91 is disengaged from the pinion 36, as shown in Fig. 4, the actuation of the handle I06 to withdraw the shifter bar I 00 from engagement with a recess 91 in the clutch member, will then cause the clutch member to be moved inwardly under the influence of the spring 98 until the clutch teeth 96 on the clutch member engage the clutch teeth 95 on the pinion, whereupon the clutch member is driven by the pinion to rotateJzhe shaft 33 and thereby, through the connected parts, actuate the eccentric 80 and cause the shoe 20 to be moved with respect to the roll. Assuming that the shoe is then moved toward the roll, the movement continues while the eccentric 80 rotates through one hundred and eighty degrees when the shoe will be found to be in ironing position in which position it is held by the action of the shifter bar I00 in disengaging the clutch member 91 and entering one of the recesses 91 to hold the clutch member and the shaft 33 against rotation. The shoe then remains in ironing position until the operator again withdraws the shifter bar I00 by turning the handle I09, and then the clutch again engages the pinion and drives the shafts 33 and 8|, in the same directions as before, until the shoe is in its fully retracted position, when the shifter bar disengages the clutch and engages the other recess 91 to hold the shoe in that position.

Although one form of the invention has been shown and described by way of illustration, it will be understood that it may be constructed in various other forms coming within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. The combination in an ironing machine, of a table, a housing carried by said table, an ironing roll carried by said housing and projecting over said table, an ironing shoe extending alongside said roll, a casing mounted on said table between the ends of said roll, a member slidably mounted in said casing and supporting said shoe, driving mechanism in said housing for rotating said roll, a shaft extending from said driving mechanism in said housing parallel to said roll, and means actuated bysaid shaft within said casing for moving said member and said shoe.

2. The combination in an ironing machine, of an ironing roll, an ironing shoe, a. slidably mounted member supporting said shoe, a plunger having an inclined surface adapted to effect the movement of said slidably mounted member, and a rotatable cam operatively connected with said plunger for effecting movement of said plunger.

3. The combination in an ironing machine, of a housing, means for supporting said housing, an ironing roll carried by said housing and extending endwise therefrom, an ironing shoe extending alongside said roll, aslidably mounted member located between the ends of said shoe for supporting said shoe, a shaft extending from said hous parallel to the axis of said roll, means operated by said shaftforactuating said slidably mounted member to move said shoe with respect to said roll, and driving mechanism in said housing for rotating said roll and rotating said shaft.

4; The combination in an ironing machine, of a housing, a rotatable ironing roll extending endwise from said housing, a shoe extending alongside said roll, a supporting memberv mounted midway between the ends of said shoe, 9. slidably mounted member movable horizontally in saidsupporting member and having said shoe mounted thereon, a vertically movable-plunger for actuating said slidably mounted member, a shaft extending from said housing beneath said roll and having connec-' tions for operating said plunger, and driving mechanism within said housing for rotating said roll and actuating said shaft.

5. The combination in an ironing machine, of a rotatable roll, a shoe extending parallel to said roll, a. slidably mounted member movable in a horizontal plane toward 'and from said roll, said shoe being mounted on said slidably mounted member, a roller carried by said member, a vertically slidable plunger having an inclined surface to coact with said roller, and power driven means for actuating said plunger.

6. The combination in an ironing machine, of a rotatable roll, a shoe extending parallel to said roll, a slidably mounted member movable in a horizontal plane toward and from said roll, said shoe being mounted on said slidably mounted member, a roller carried by said member, a vertically slidable plunger having an inclined surface to coact with said roller, a rotatable shaft,

an eccentric fixed on said shaft, and an eccentric strap surrounding said eccentric and having connection with said plunger for effecting reciprocation of said plunger upon rotation of said shaft.

JOHN T. HUME. HAROLD L. HART. 

